The field of photography has traditionally involved the exposure of a light-sensitive film to an image focused on the film through a lens. This film is made using silver halide, which forms a latent image in response to the exposure. The image is then developed using a chemical process and printed on a specific silver halide photographic paper.
More recently, digital cameras, personal computers and printers have become a viable alternative to such silver halide photography. Today, images are often captured with a digital camera, transferred electronically to a computer with a printer, or directly to a printer, and then produced by the printer in a hardcopy form. Color inkjet printing and/or laser-jet printing are, among other, often used for printing such high quality photographs.
It becomes apparent that the image quality and durability of photographic images, printed using such printing technology, is strongly dependent on the construction of the print media used. Consequently, improved recording media, often specifically designed for producing hardcopy photographs, have been developed for use in such printing devices. These types of print media, which can includes different ink receiving compositions (or layer) and a base substrate, are referred to as photographic printing paper or photo paper substrate.
While many developments have been made regarding such substrates, it has often created challenges to find media which can be effectively used with such printing techniques and which impart good image quality.